Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular gearing up for a tough 2017

fficiency, effectiveness and cost control will be the focus areas for telcos in the New Year, when the number of data users is likely to surge. Devina Sengupta&Niharika Banerjee  |  ET Bureau  |  Updated: January 02, 2017, 09:55 IST

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MUMBAI: India’s telecom industry won’t be raising a toast to 2017. Instead, it will be gearing up for a tough 12 months with Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India and Idea Cellular — the top three — embroiled in a war with newcomer Reliance Jio Infocomm.

Telcos are bracing for further pressure on both voice and data rates, and the resultant threat to revenue growth and narrowing margins and profit, amid increased finance costs due to burgeoning debt and spending on expanding 3G and 4G networks, analysts said. Efficiency, effectiveness and cost control will be the focus areas for telcos in the New Year, when the number of data users is likely to surge.

“The sector is staring at almost Rs 3 lakh crore of debt and the profit margins at a sector level would be wafer-thin. Servicing of such debt would be difficult with falling revenue,” said Prashant Singhal, global telecommunications leader at consultancy firm EY. He added that at current debt levels, the sector needs some stimulus from the government to fuel growth in networks and drive digital adoption. Singhal expects some semblance of normalcy to return only in 2018.

Debt has ballooned as telcos invested in expanding networks and purchasing spectrum. “Players must figure out ways to reduce their debt, which has partly been a result of poor usage of funds,” said BK Syngal of Dua Consulting. Incumbent telcos have been struggling with price wars since Jio started commercial services in September, offering free data and voice services, initially till the end of 2016 and then extending it till March 2017.

Vodafone Group Plc slashed the value of its Indian subsidiary by about Rs 36,450 crore in November due to increased competition sparked by Jio’s entry. The extension of Jio’s free data and voice service prompted rivals to introduce free voice bundled with data plans starting at Rs 145.

Data realisation by service providers will drop 20-25% this year, according to a report by PwC. Following the price war on mobile data in India, telcos will experience reduced data realisation this year as an increase in data traffic will not compensate for lower data revenue, PwC said. “2017 is expected to be a tough year since telcos have to find ways to increase their capex to make themselves more data ready,” said Arpita Pal Agrawal, partner - advisory services and leader of telecom sector for PwC.

Hemant Joshi, telecom lead analyst at consultancy firm Deloitte, expects pricing pressure to continue till a new paradigm on pricing is reached. “2017 will be the year of resetting the sector in terms of pricing, consumer experience, competition and relooking at dumb pipe versus smart pipe paradigm. Profitability and cash flows will continue to be under pressure till profitable data play picks up in a significant way with linkages with Internet of Things and solutions for other business,” Joshi said. Both incumbents and the new entrant will look to woo customers via the medium of better data in 2017, increasing the number of data users by 30-40% over 2016 amid the digital push by the government, the rollout of 4G services and a reduction in smartphone prices.

U.S. Telecom Industry: Momentum to Continue in 2017

The surprising victory of Republican Donald Trump in the presidential election is starting to impact telecom policy parameters. Trump will take charge of White House on Jan 20, 2017 and will select a new Chairperson of the U.S. telecom regulatory body, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The Trump regime is likely to bring some relief as well as concerns for the telecom industry.

Nevertheless, the U.S. telecommunications industry is likely to witness reasonable growth through 2017. This industry has lately emerged as an intensely contested space where success depends largely on technical superiority, the quality of services and scalability. Cut-throat pricing competition may put pressure on margins. Uninterrupted advancement in telecom technologies has helped telecom operators and equipment manufacturers adopt newer business models in order to boost revenues.

Wireless network strength holds the key to overall growth of this space. As wireless networks run on radio frequency, spectrums (airwaves) have logically become the most sought-after asset in the industry. Spectrum auctions conducted by the FCC from time to time will significantly boost network capacity.

Key Attributes for 2017

(1) The telecommunications industry is essentially characterized by high barriers to entry. The deployment of network infrastructure requires significant capital expenditure, which very few entities can afford. Furthermore, it is not easy for a new telecom carrier to establish itself in the market as it requires government approval to transmit voice, data and video. Such barriers protect the profits of incumbents.

(2) A major characteristic of the telecommunications industry is that it is immune to international geo-political disturbances, even when these lead to economic fluctuations. This is because the need to remain connected springs from our earliest instincts to communicate with fellow human beings. Volatility in the global economy due to political and economic disturbance in the Eurozone, Asia-Pacific or the Middle-East has had little impact on the sector.

(3) Wireless network strength is the key to future growth of the overall telecom industry. As wireless networks run on radio frequency, spectrums (airwaves) are naturally the most sought after assets in the industry. Spectrum auctions conducted by the FCC from time to time will significantly boost network capacity.

(4) Telecom companies offer one of the highest dividend yields in the U.S. economy. Unlike other industries, U.S. telecom operators generate their revenues predominantly in the country. This makes these stocks less susceptible to volatility in the foreign exchange rate as well as macro-economic fluctuations plaguing the rest of the world. We believe the strong dividend yield momentum will continue as the U.S. economy slowly returns to stability.

(5) Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are not uncommon in the U.S. telecom industry. Telecom and pay-TV operators often join forces to provide better and attractive bundled products to their customers. In order to stay abreast of competition, existing players need to be constantly on their toes to introduce innovative products or merge with other companies. In the near future, the U.S. telecom industry is slated to witness further mergers and acquisitions along with product diversifications.

Major Upcoming Developments

Telecommunications is one of the few industries to have undergone rapid technological improvement even during the Great Recession. An era of digitization and technology has essentially been built on the basic requirement to remain connected. It is in this context that telecommunications comes to the fore as a necessary utility. Growing demand for technologically superior products is the silver lining in the telecom industry in an otherwise tough environment.

5G Wireless Technology

Several industry researchers hold that fifth-generation (5G) network will provide a download speed of 1 Gbps (gigabit per second), which is 200 times the throughput of the currently available standard 4G LTE network. Latency period of data delivery will be in single milliseconds. Further, 5G technology is designed to be more power-efficient than any other standard wireless network available at the moment. Naturally, 5G-enabled mobile devices are likely to last much longer than their 3G or 4G counterparts.

Ending the Digital Transformation Paradox

Telecoms.com periodically invites expert third parties to discuss the biggest challenges facing the telecoms industry today. In this post, Gary Messiana, CEO of Nominum, looks to demystify digital transformation and how DNS can help end the paradox.
In recent years, the incredible increase in demand for online connectivity, fueled by the mobile internet boom, has created an overwhelming challenge for communication service providers (CSPs), resulting in a market situation we call the “digital transformation paradox.” While the digital economy has flourished on the back of their networks, CSPs have been forced to keep pace by investing significant amounts of money in infrastructure. Such financial burdens have made it nearly impossible to commit innovation and development resources to creating higher-value digital services to thwart competition from over-the-top (OTT) players.
Herein lies the paradox: CSPs created the very infrastructure that enabled a thriving digital economy, but, through no fault of their own, have not reaped their fair share of the rewards. They are now turning the tide and moving up the digital transformation curve—a representation of the key steps to achieving digital transformation.
With the supporting infrastructure in place and capacity and cost efficiencies paying off, CSPs are ready to take part in the digital transformation imperative by gaining a holistic view of the subscriber and delivering personalized subscriber services. The number one challenge for CSPs in achieving this integrated customer view is to cost-effectively unify the multiple organizational functions needed to do so. Delivering these personalized services in a cost-effective, scalable and reliable way, while bound by legacy systems, is no easy task. Compounding the problem is the fact that the technology choices for uniting functional silos of people, systems and the functions they perform along this digital transformation curve are limited and prohibitively expensive. Many CSPs are looking to network virtualization to further reduce costs but this approach does not solve the fundamental issue of lack of cohesion between the network, security, customer service, sales and marketing teams that have been tasked with digital transformation imperatives.
Given this scenario, how can CSPs end the digital transformation paradox and become significant competitors to OTT brands that have been using their networks to entice subscribers away—and in some cases even building out their own faster and less costly networks?  It’s counter-intuitive but the answer is not investing in new, overly complex subscriber-facing applications from multiple providers. This exacerbates the problem with respect to delayed time-to-value, lack of employee cohesion and increased subscriber confusion. The fastest, most cost-effective way to successfully end the paradox is to look for greater simplicity by finding the lowest common denominator to unify the systems, functions and people CSPs need to deliver an exceptional and personalized subscriber experience. The answer is found in an asset that already exists in every single CSP network today. The answer is DNS—the fundamental building block of the internet.
DNS: The Central Nervous System of all IP Networks
Why is DNS an ideal technology to power the digital transformation shift? While often overlooked as simply being the “phone book” of the internet, DNS has moved beyond the realm of passive internet look-up functionality and is now at the heart of digital transformation. When DNS is leveraged as an active, intelligent resource, it both synchronizes business functions and efficiently delivers premium services that increase subscriber value. An elegant and robust technology, DNS has the ability to deliver innovative, personalized services from end-to-end across provider networks. And, because it already exists in CSP networks, DNS is easily leveraged without extensive cost or complexity.
While many existing suppliers to the CSP segment have recognized these challenges, the solutions they offer are naturally biased toward their position in the physical network. The higher up the stack, the more limited the breadth of their offers and the greater the potential for point solutions to operate in silos. This is exactly what CSPs must reverse to accelerate up the digital transformation curve. Conversely, the lower a supplier’s physical position in the network, the broader and more extensible their offerings can be—an essential concept to ending the paradox.
In our conversations with leading CSPs around the world, top-of-mind issues include overcoming escalating competitive pressures, enhancing subscribers’ ever-increasing digital lifestyles and growing revenue, all while delivering new services and up-selling existing offers. Progressive CSPs now recognize that in order to meet these objectives, they need to sync digital service capabilities with people, processes and systems across the entire business, not just at points along the digital transformation curve. This means bringing marketing, customer service, finance, legal and every other department that has a customer touchpoint along the curve together with the more traditional network and security teams. The days of keeping these groups physically and functionally separated are over. Given its position in the network, DNS plays the perfect role in unifying these teams with efficiency and cost-effectiveness, while supporting the digital lifestyle their subscribers demand.
Extensible DNS: A Platform for Digital, Value-Added Services
Since DNS connects IP addresses with application and service requests, it is now being leveraged across many CSP organisations to create greater subscriber value. It is used to secure the network, protect subscribers, create high-value, premium offers like parental controls, and enable interactive communications that reach 100% of subscribers in a timely and convenient manner.

Industry experts agree that digital transformation requires a more flexible, extensible IT architecture to speed time-to-market of new product and service innovations. A key aspect of this approach is utilizing existing IT systems and complementing them with lightweight, agile platforms that support simplified digital offers and experiences. When properly leveraged, DNS is a high-performance service enabler that meets CSP requirements for flexibility and scalability, while accelerating the delivery of subscriber-centric services that create new streams of revenue and grow market share.
Sue Rudd, director for Strategy Analytics, published a white paper titled “Accelerating Digital Transformation for Communication Service Providers.” In it, she describes four areas that are essential for digital transformation:

1. Service providers and subscribers gain real-time control over services. For example, families set filters that are activated instantly to match their content preferences.
2. Integrated IP service management provides simplified management of one platform with unified interfaces for monitoring and provisioning.
3. Converged solutions ensure subscribers receive the same experience regardless of the network or device they are currently using—whether LTE/cellular, Wi-Fi, cable, DSL or fiber; or smartphone, tablet, e-reader, laptop or PC.
4. Personalized user access empowers households to create their own unique ‘view’ of the internet and customize settings for every device in the home.

DNS is at the heart of all four of these areas. The CSPs that have put it to work are able to compete more effectively and bring new services to market much faster than their competitors, and will ultimately be in the best position to end the digital transformation paradox. As with many seemingly intractable challenges, simplicity is the right answer, although too often the last place we look.

Network Rail drops telecom cable sell-off

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Network Rail has abandoned plans to privatise the vast telecoms network that runs alongside UK railway lines.
The decision not to sell the fibre optic and telecoms network that delivers voice, data, video and broadband services for maintenance teams and communication between trains, comes despite a deluge of interest from telecoms operators worldwide.

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The UK’s state-owned railway operator, said there were now “no immediate plans to progress” the privatisation but that it would press ahead with other asset sales.

It held talks with BT, Virgin Media and a number of other companies looking to tap into a network that could improve services on trains and in rural areas. BT was seen as the frontrunner to strike a deal to buy the network, form a joint venture with Network Rail or lease capacity. However, talks became deadlocked and the plan has been shelved in favour of selling off property assets. BT declined to comment.

One industry figure said the telecoms network was likely come up for sale again because of government pressure to reduce its debt, although any deal would be complicated by Network Rail’s reliance on the fibre lines for its signalling.
Telecoms for UK railways were brought back in-house in 2002 and Network Rail has since spent £2bn on modernisation.

Experts have raised concerns that the sale would lead to further fragmentation of the system. Roger Ford, founding editor of Rail Business Intelligence, called the sell-off of telecoms and electrical power assets as “sheer madness that ignores past experience”. “This is the nervous system of the railway and it’s the one thing you must control,” he said at the time the sale was announced.

Network Rail has been under pressure to sell assets since its debt — now at £42bn — was transferred to the Treasury’s balance sheet two years ago. It is also wrestling with cost overruns on a £38.5bn five-year modernisation project.
Its power assets include about 120 substations, as well as thousands of cables and pylons, which could be sold to energy companies or private investors, although officials close to that sale said the process had slowed after the Brexit vote.

Fears for Britain’s railways

After Brexit vote, some industry insiders say groups risk seeing growth fall short of forecasts

Network Rail is also looking at options to raise money from 18 major stations, including London Waterloo, Reading, Leeds and Edinburgh Waverley. This could include outright sales, or investments that companies could buy shares in. Citigroup has been appointed to advise on the future of the stations.

The operator is also in the process of raising up to £1.8bn over the next three years from commercial property sales, including units that are home to small businesses from car mechanics to hairdressers in 5,000 railway arches, 115 train depots and 570 light maintenance depots.
Network Rail says the sales will streamline the organisation and allow it to focus on its main job of maintaining 20,000 miles of track, 40,000 bridges and tunnels, and 6,300 level crossings.
About 60 per cent of its £6bn annual turnover comes from the taxpayer, with 27.8 per cent from track access charges paid by 22 train operating companies. Property and shops account for 10.6 per cent.

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25. Titanfall 2

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Titanfall 2
    Developer(s)	Respawn Entertainment
    Publisher(s)	Electronic Arts
    Director(s)	Steve Fukuda
    Producer(s)	Drew McCoy
    Designer(s)	Todd Alderman Mackey McCandlish
    Programmer(s)	Jon Shiring
    Engine	Source
    Platform(s)	PlayStation 4 Xbox One Windows
    Release date(s)	October 28, 2016
    Genre(s)	First-person shooter
    Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

    Titanfall 2 is an upcoming first-person shooter video game, the sequel to Titanfall. It is being developed by Respawn Entertainment and will be published by Electronic Arts for PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows and Xbox One. The game is scheduled to be released on October 28, 2016.
    

    Contents

    • 1 Gameplay
    • 2 Development
    • 3 Reception
    • 4 References
    • 5 External links

    Gameplay

    Similar to its predecessor, the game is a first-person shooter in which players can control both the pilot, and the Titans, a mech-style exoskeletons. The pilot has an arsenal of abilities which enhance their efficiency during combat. These abilities include invisibility cloaking and parkouring, such as double-jumping, zip-lining and wall-running with the use of a jetpack.^[1] These movements can be chained together in order to travel between locations quickly.^[2] The pace of parkour is significantly slower than its predecessor to ensure that the game is more accessible to new players. Matches were described to be "predictable", so that players can have sufficient time to react to its surroundings.^[3][4]The game introduces seven new gameplay mechanics: a sliding mechanic, the pulse blade, which is a throwing knife that reveals the location of any nearby enemy, the holo-pilot, a holographic pilot that mimics players' action to confuse enemies, and a grappling hook, which can be used to slingshot players to a building or an enemy it attaches to. The game also features a progression system similar to the first game, but more weapons and weapon customization are included.^[5] When the player executes an enemy, the perspective automatically shifts to third-person.^[6]
    When the players gained enough points to summon a titan, a titan will then descend from the sky.^[7] Titans are significantly slower than the pilots, but they have stronger firearms and are more powerful. The models from the first game were scrapped, and six new types of titans are introduced. The Scorch is a titan class that is capable of performing fire attacks such as killing enemies with its thermite launcher and fire wall ability. Ion is a titan that can kill enemies using laser beams and tripwire. Ronin is a class that can wield a giant sword. The customization options featured are compared to the Street Fighter franchise, in which the Titans abilities have little modifications while its appearances can be extensively customized. Artificial intelligence allies and enemies also return in some of the game's multiplayer modes.^[5]
    Unlike the first game, the game has a single-player story campaign.^[8] The player assumes control of Jack Cooper, a rifleman from the Frontier Militia, who is sent to an alien planet and must ally with his former squadmate's Titan named BT-7274 to fight against both local alien creatures and human enemies from Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation.^[4] It features a linear story, but levels are similar to open-ended arenas which offer players multiple paths to explore.^[9] Players are allowed to use multiple ways to complete objectives, such as utilizing stealth, or using the long-ranged or short-ranged weapons provided in the game to assault enemies. In addition, the game features platform elements, which task players to make use of Cooper's parkour abilities to solve environmental puzzles, and access the previously inaccessible areas. Some weapons are level-specific, and can only be used in certain regions, though Mackey McCandlish, the game's designer, confirmed that the game would not have any extensive grinding element, and that it would be similar to the recent reboots of both the Wolfenstein series and the Doom series.^[1][10] Players can also communicate and talk to the Titan during the campaign, a mechanic designed to add personality to the characters and depth to the world.^[4]
    In addition, the skill system is improved, and players are rated based on their performance in a multiplayer match, regardless of whether their team wins or loses. Matchmaking is also enhanced, with the game automatically helping players to find a new match after the end of every match.^[11] The game also introduces a new features called "Networks", which allows players to form a group, similar to a guild. The game will then automatically group both the player and other members of the network together in a match. Players can join more than one network.^[3]
    

    Development

    Reports about the sequel to Respawn Entertainment's Titanfall began to circulate within weeks of the game's March 2014 release, particularly that the sequel would not be a Microsoft console exclusive as its predecessor had been^[12][13] and that Electronic Arts would serve again as publisher.^[14] The game was in planning as of June, and revealed by Respawn CEO Vince Zampella to be in development as of March 2015.^[13] A second team at Respawn was working on an unrelated project.^[14] Respawn explored the possibility of a companion science fiction television series.^[15] The game is planned for release on October 28, 2016.^{[16][17][18][19]} A collector's edition at release will feature a full-scale replica of the game's pilot character helmet as well as other gadgets.^[20] The first beta, which contains two modes and two maps, is set to begin on August 19 and end on 21. It will be followed by another second beta, which begins on August 26 and ends on August 28.^[21]
    Like the first game, Titanfall 2 is using a modified version of the Source game engine, along with a custom audio and texture streaming system created in-house. Moreover, unlike the first game, it will have a full-single player story mode focusing on the relationship between Titans and Pilots. The developers also confirmed that they will release most of the post-released maps and modes free of charge.^[22] EA also partnered with several catering companies to promote the game. Players who purchase food or drinks at any Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant would receive a free customization item and access to a new multiplayer mode. Similarly, players who purchase Pepsi's Mountain Dew or Doritos would be given a code that gives them early access to a new multiplayer mode and one of the seven types of titans, and several Titan customization items.^[23]
    

    Reception

    Titanfall 2 has been nominated for "Best of Show", "Best Action Game" and won the "Best Online Multiplayer" game award at the 2016 Game Critics Awards which took place after E3 2016. Electronic Arts expected the game to sell approximately 9 to 10 million units in its first year of release.^[24]
    

    Year	Award	Category	Recipient	Result	Ref
    2016	Game Critics Awards 2016	Best of Show	Titanfall 2	Nominated	[25]
    		Best Action Game		Nominated
    		Best Online Multiplayer		Won

    References

    1. 
       
26. McWhertor, Michael (August 11, 2016). "Titanfall 2: First single-player campaign details". Polygon. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
27. 
    
28. Hollister, Sean (June 12, 2016). "Titanfall 2's grappling hook is unreal (hands-on)". CNet. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
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30. Hollister, Sean (June 24, 2016). "Titanfall 2 may fix one of the biggest problems with team-based multiplayer games". CNET. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
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32. Robinson, Martin (August 11, 2016). "You can talk to the Titans in Titanfall 2's campaign". Eurogamer. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
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34. Bertz, Matt (June 20, 2016). "What's The Same, What's Different In Titanfall 2 Multiplayer". Game Informer. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
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36. Saed, Sherif (June 20, 2016). "Here's four minutes of Titanfall 2 gameplay". VG 247. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
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38. "Titanfall 2 hands-on preview and interview – 'It's very different to anything we've done in the past'". Metro. June 20, 2016. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
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40. Crecente, Brian (June 12, 2016). "Titanfall 2 Brings Personality To Its Messive Mechs, And A Story For The Fans". Polygon. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
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42. Mahardy, Mike (August 12, 2016). "Titanfall 2 Single-Player Campaign Revealed, Shows New Details". GameSpot. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
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44. Tyrrel, Brandin (August 11, 2016). "Titanfall 2 Single Player Is Surprising". IGN. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
45. 
    
46. Pereira, Chris (August 9, 2016). "How Titanfall 2's Matchmaking Is Being Improved". GameSpot. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
47. 
    
48. Crecente, Brian (March 19, 2014). "Report: EA lands deal for Titanfall 2, sequel won't be Microsoft exclusive". Polygon. Archived from the original on March 19, 2014. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
49. 
    
50. Tach, Dave (April 3, 2015). "Titanfall 2 could have a traditional campaign and more weapons". Polygon. Archived from the original on April 3, 2015. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
51. 
    
52. Sarkar, Samit (March 12, 2015). "Titanfall sequel in development, will be 'multiplatform,' Respawn CEO confirms". Polygon. Archived from the original on April 3, 2015. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
53. 
    
54. Good, Owen S. (February 7, 2016). "Titanfall 2 writer confirms single-player campaign, suggests TV series in the works". Polygon. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
55. 
    
56. Sarkar, Samit (May 10, 2016). "Titanfall 2 drops this fall". Polygon. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
57. 
    
58. Matulef, Jeffrey (January 28, 2016). "New Titanfall game and Mass Effect: Andromeda coming in the next 14 months". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on January 28, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
59. 
    
60. Sarkar, Samit (May 5, 2015). "Titanfall 2 not expected before April 2016, says EA". Polygon. Archived from the original on May 5, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
61. 
    
62. McWhertor, Michael (June 12, 2016). "Titanfall 2 launches Oct. 28, comes with offline single-player campaign". Polygon. Archived from the original on June 12, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
63. 
    
64. Alexander, Julia (June 13, 2016). "Titanfall 2 Vanguard Edition comes with full scale replica helmet for $250". Polygon. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
65. 
    
66. Pereira, Chris (August 16, 2016). "Titanfall 2 Beta Dates and Details Confirmed". GameSpot. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
67. 
    
68. Dunsmore, Kevin. "E3 2016: Respawn Talks Content Variety, Reworked Engine in Titanfall 2". hardcoregamer.com. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
69. 
    
70. Makuch, Eddie (August 17, 2016). "How to Get Titanfall 2 DLC by Eating and Drinking". GameSpot. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
71. 
    
72. Orry, James (August 3, 2016). "Titanfall 2 to sell 9-10 million units, Battlefield 1 15 million, says EA". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
73. 
    
"Game critics awards 2

Three steps to improve telcos’ customer experience in an increasingly agile world

increasingly agile world

By Udayan Kelker 01 August 2016, 14:02 p.m. comment

Categories

Content, Customer Service, Operators, OTT Services

(c)iStock.com/RapidEye
As customer experience fast becomes a key determinant of success for CSPs, every individual within an organisation will hold some responsibility over it and there is more pressure than ever for businesses to invest in new solutions to manage the needs of their customers. In order to drive Customer Experience Management (CEM) forward in today’s increasingly agile world, CSPs must work to reshape business models to understand the fast changing needs of their customers and provide enhanced services that will enrich the customer experience.

Foster customer experience as a ‘culture’

In order to enhance every element of the experience and ensure the customer remains at the centre of all business decisions, CSPs will need to foster customer experience as a ‘culture’. It will be extremely important that the C-level leadership within the business provide the right direction and vision for the company. Leading by example, this influence filters down through the rest of the company so that the importance of CEM embodies everyone within the organisation. To achieve this, CSPs will need to re-position their systems and processes to support more integrated product management strategies. It is also important that businesses take the opportunity to learn from their customers through their smart devices and ensure they have efficient business processes and infrastructure in place to make use of real-time customer feedback.
Constant incremental innovation and learning from customer behaviour is a necessary pre-requisite to predicting what the customer will need in the future. At Tecnotree, we work with our customers to utilise information available through the standard BSS stack to enhance the customer experience throughout the customer lifecycle. By understanding their customers’ behaviour, CSPs will be able to alter or create products quickly, while ensuring relevance to the end-user by recommending products, services and actions that will enable better engagement.

Shift telco business models to improve CEM

One of the biggest steps that CSPs are taking to contribute to customer experience is through the move to subscription based revenue models. Various try-and-buy and freemium business models are now widely available in the telecom space and CSPs have been forced to respond, both in terms of their end-user offerings, as well as packaging traffic and other services to their OTT partners. With traditional metered subscriptions still largely being the backbone of the CSP business model, some creative thinking will be required for them to adopt new strategies to improve CEM.  
CSPs have currently found it difficult to have traditional metered subscriptions and freemium models work side by side, but we are beginning to see more interest in exploring “Internet style” models through parallel brands or “friendly MVNOs”. With these types of approaches there is a possibility for CSPs to have the best of both worlds and explore new ideas without prematurely jeopardising their core business revenues.

Enhance partnership models

Until recently, many CSPs have been somewhat stuck in the past, using mainstream partnering models that still reflect the premium SMS era structures. However, in some markets we are now beginning to see CSPs taking a more proactive approach to bundling services with OTT partners. One factor in this trend is Facebook’s strong push for its Basic Services concept, which in some areas seems to act as a catalyst for bringing CSPs and non-Facebook-affiliated OTTs together.
From a wholesale standpoint, to enhance customer experience this means that the entire value chain must align in the way that network access and services are packaged and priced. In order for small and agile OTT partners to remain interested, retail and partner revenue share, together with roaming, packaging and pricing, must be transparent and predictable, especially where partners are operating across operator and geographical boundaries.
Putting customer experience at the forefront of a CSP’s business will be a challenge, however by modernising processes and prioritising the need to have scalable business models in place, they can identify opportunities for investment and form the strategic partnerships needed to grow new revenue streams. It is also important for CSPs to create a company culture that understands its customers and listens to their feedback, to ensure that products are relevant and best meet customers’ needs. By addressing these changes and adopting an approach that looks beyond their traditional offerings, CSPs will be able to reshape their business, expand service portfolios, and thus grow customer value in order to succeed in a highly competitive landscape.

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• » What does the Internet of Things mean for mobile network operators?

Airline passengers prioritise wifi over all other in-flight services combined

A survey conducted by Inmarsat and GfK has concluded in-flight wifi is by far the most sought-after amenity by passengers, ahead of meals and in-flight entertainment.
The survey covered 9,000 passengers in Europe, APAC and Latin America who had taken a flight of any length in the past year and carried at least one personal device on board the aircraft. 92% of those wanted connectivity and, when asked to pick a single service, including meals and traditional entertainments systems, 54% of them went for wifi.
While ambivalence towards airplane food is understandable, such is today’s reliance on connected devices that it seems even being offered a bunch of premium content is no substitute for being able to get online in the air. 83% of respondents said they will select an airline based on in-flight wifi two thirds of them said they’d be willing to pay extra for improved quality and reliability. 78% of respondents expect connectivity to replace in-flight entertainment within a decade.
“Demand for broadband in the sky has reached such unprecedented levels around the world that airlines, as well as those in the business aviation and aircraft lessor markets, need to meet passenger expectations or risk losing out to their competitors,” said Leo Mondale, President of Inmarsat Aviation.
“Our survey clearly demonstrates that passengers demand a highly reliable service. Quality is the essential ingredient that determines whether or not passengers choose to go online during flights. Airlines are therefore under pressure to select the right partner to support them in delivering a reliable and cost effective service.”
Mondale obviously thinks his company is that partner. As expectations of ubiquitous connectivity grow satellite is coming to the fore as a way to fill not-spots and bring connectivity to remote environments. The satellite connectivity market seems to be booming and in-flight connectivity especially looks set to be highly competitive.

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Tags: GfK, in flight, Inmarsat, satellite, Wifi

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